Astronomy was a popular and important part of Victorian science, and British astronomers carried telescopes and spectroscopes to remote areas of India, the Great Plains of North America, and islands in the Caribbean and Pacific to watch the sun eclipsed by the moon. Examining the rich interplay between science, culture, and British imperial society in the late nineteenth century, this book shows how the organization and conduct of scientific fieldwork was structured by contemporary politics and culture, and how rapid and profound changes in the organization of science, advances in photography, and new printing technology remade the character of scientific observation.
After introducing the field of Victorian science to the nonspecialist, the book examines the long periods of planning necessary for eclipse expeditions, and it recounts the day-to-day work of getting to field sites, setting up camp, and preparing for and observing eclipses. Operating behind the countless decisions made by scientists was a host of large-scale forces, including the professionalization and specialization of disciplines, the growth of service, and public funding for the sciences. Fieldwork also required close coordination with the many institutions and technological systems of British imperialism.
The development of imaging technologies was, of course, crucial to observations of the solar corona. Eclipse observation taxed astronomers and their cameras to their limits, and it raised new questions about the trustworthiness of imaging technologies. In the late nineteenth century, scientists shifted from drawing to photographing natural phenomena, but the shift occurred gradually, unevenly, and against resistance. Victorian astronomers had to weigh carefully the merits of human and mechanical observation, and the difficulties of solar photography highlight the inseparability of images from technologies of observation and printing.

'A must read for anyone interested in the 4-day week' - Heejung Chung, professor at the University of Kent and author of The Flexibility Paradox 'This invaluable book offers a clear way forward: we don't need to burn ourselves out, we can work less and get more done' - Rebecca Seal, author of SOLO: How To Work Alone (And Not Lose Your Mind) The 4-day week is no longer just an idea. Following successful trials in countries as far apart as New Zealand and the United Kingdom (where nearly all companies involved opted to continue beyond the pilot), research now shows that a shorter workweek benefits both companies and employees, increasing productivity, wellbeing and staff retention. Work Less, Do More offers a practical framework for making the 4-day week a reality in your business, whatever its sector and size. Top expert and Silicon Valley-based consultant Alex Pang helps you: -Identify the best pattern for your company -Assemble your team -Define what success looks like -Think through worst-case scenarios and troubleshoot potential difficulties -Put your plan into action So whether you are a founder who wants to make the 4-day week a reality, an employee who needs to make the case for a shorter working pattern to your board, or a manager who wonders whether this could give your team an extra edge, this is the only book you need to make the 4-day week work for you.

"Take a break and read Rest: you'll make smarter decisions, have better relationships, and be happier and more creative" James Wallman, author of Stuffocation Do you regularly find yourself too tired after a long day at your desk to do anything other than binge TV, or scroll mindlessly through social media? Do you go on holiday and still compulsively check your email? Do you work through your lunch-break, often not even leaving your desk to get some fresh air? For most of us, overwork is the new norm, and we never truly take the time to rest and recharge. But as Silicon Valley consultant Alex Soojung-Kim Pang explains in this groundbreaking book, rest needs to be taken seriously and to be done properly, because when you rest better you work better. Drawing on emerging neuroscience, Rest is packed with easy practical tips for incorporating rest into our everyday: - Go for a long walk to stimulate and sustain creativity - Schedule deliberate active rest periods into your diary to try out new activities like painting or learning a language - Stop working on a task when you know what the next step will be, this will make it easier to get started the next day - Establish clear boundaries between work and rest time - Take a nap during the day to increase alertness, boost your concentration and decrease fatigue - Get good quality sleep at night to stay healthy, solidify memories and generate new ideas When you rest better you'll find that it won't just be your work which improves - you'll have more time for hobbies, stronger relationships and you'll sleep better, too. "An incredibly timely read for my own increasingly rest-starved life. This might be the book to finally persuade us that downtime isn't in conflict with good work; rather, it's an essential ingredient of it" Oliver Burkeman, Guardian

Astronomy was a popular and important part of Victorian science, and British astronomers carried telescopes and spectroscopes to remote areas of India, the Great Plains of North America, and islands in the Caribbean and Pacific to watch the sun eclipsed by the moon. Examining the rich interplay between science, culture, and British imperial society in the late nineteenth century, this book shows how the organization and conduct of scientific fieldwork was structured by contemporary politics and culture, and how rapid and profound changes in the organization of science, advances in photography, and new printing technology remade the character of scientific observation.
After introducing the field of Victorian science to the nonspecialist, the book examines the long periods of planning necessary for eclipse expeditions, and it recounts the day-to-day work of getting to field sites, setting up camp, and preparing for and observing eclipses. Operating behind the countless decisions made by scientists was a host of large-scale forces, including the professionalization and specialization of disciplines, the growth of service, and public funding for the sciences. Fieldwork also required close coordination with the many institutions and technological systems of British imperialism.
The development of imaging technologies was, of course, crucial to observations of the solar corona. Eclipse observation taxed astronomers and their cameras to their limits, and it raised new questions about the trustworthiness of imaging technologies. In the late nineteenth century, scientists shifted from drawing to photographing natural phenomena, but the shift occurred gradually, unevenly, and against resistance. Victorian astronomers had to weigh carefully the merits of human and mechanical observation, and the difficulties of solar photography highlight the inseparability of images from technologies of observation and printing.

Forget the old concept of the 9-5. In a changing world, companies around the globe are redesigning the working week to increase efficiency, health, productivity and happiness in their employees. Now you can do the same. A growing number of businesses are shortening their working weeks to address problems with low productivity, poor mental health and unequal working opportunities. Workers are still paid the same salary for a four-day week and the results are revolutionary; so much so that a pilot scheme has recently launched in the UK, based on this model. In Shorter, bestselling author of Rest Alex Pang studies these trailblazing businesses working fewer hours, where managers are reporting their teams to be: - More creative in their problem solving - Happier and with lower stress and anxiety and cases of burn out - More productive Pang will reveal step by step how they have gone about making these changes, the challenges and solutions and, most importantly, how you can do the same.